Cotton-cleaning machine



@m; 9, 11923. mwwm D. Z. WRIGHT COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS:

INVENTOR BY i fl 1 AT TORNEY @ct. 9 HQZBD D. Vi/RIGHT COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb.

1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 if?" INVENTOR my 2 k .M W

ATTORN EY WITNESS:

@dc. Q 1923. L WQEIMT D; 2. WREGHT COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb, 1921 3 Sheefcs-Sheet 5 INVENTOR aka/7% WITNES:

ATTORNEY t ll Patented DAVID Z. WRIGHT, OF CHILDRESS, TEXAS.

COTTON-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed February 5, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be" it known that T, DAVID Z. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Childress, in the county of Childress and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My present invention has reference to a cotton cleaning machine.

The object is the production, in amachine of this character of means whereby the bolls of the cotton will be broken, the cotton cleaned, and separated in a single operation.

A further object is the production of a cotton cleaning machine in which the cotton is subjected to both a beating operation and influenced by suctions of air whereby the same will be effectively treated when passing through the machine and delivered therefrom in a properly cleaned condition.

A further object is the production, in a cotton cleaning machine, of means for preventing foreign matter entering the machine with the cotton, and in which the cotton is first forced to pass between stationary and revolublefingers, thereafter subjected to a suction of air in: an outward direction, thereafter forced around a reticulated member to further effect the cleaning thereof and to permit of foreign substances gravitating through the screen, and finally engaged by revoluble members for depositing the same in. a cleaned condition to a suitable receptacle.

The foregoing, and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinventi'on is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combinationand operatiwe arrangement of parts, such as is illustrated by the drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation: of a cotton cleaning machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1.

I Figure 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a" fragmentary sectional view taken approximately in a line with one of the bolts which support the bell breaker.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable bollbreaker.

Serial No. 442,759.

My improvement contemplates the employment of a casing 1 which is supported in any desired or preferred manner and which is designed to be used in connection with the usual air suction line bet-ween the cotton supply and the fan. The casing 1, at the top thereof, has acha-mber 3 to which is connected the pipe 2 of a suction fan (not shown). The cotton inlet conductor pipe is indicated by the numeral 4. The pipe 4 communicates with a duct 5 that enters the side of the casing 1 a suitable distance below the chamber 3. The lower wall of the duct 5 has an opening adjacent to the inner end thereof which is controlled by a swinging door 6 that swings into a receptacle 7. The outer wall of the receptacle is straight and is indicated by the numeral 8 and the inner wall is arranged at a downward and. inward inclination, as indicated by the numeral 9.

The bottom wall of the receptacle is indicated by the numeral 10, the outer wall of the said receptacle having an opening closed by a door 11. The receptacle is designed to receive therein sticks and weighted. foreign matter from the cotton as the same passes through the duct 5. The material is directed into the receptacle over the angle inner wall 9 of the said receptacle, and the passage thereof is controlled by the door or valve 6, and the passage into the receptacle, indicated by the numeral 12 is controlled by the door or valve 6, the opening and closing of the said door being regulated in any desired or preferred manner. The upper wall of the duct 5 projects a suitable distance into the casing. Between the said wall 13 and the angle wall 14 of the casing through which it enters there is a block 15, and at a suitable distance away from the block the said. wall 14 is provided with a cleat 16. Between the cleat and block there is an aperturcd plate 16. The cleat and block provide guideways for the head portion 17 of the boll breaker. The inner face of the head has projecting teeth or fingers 18 that pass through the apertures in the block 16. T he head has bolts 19 that pass through openin the wall 14 and said bolts are engaged. by winged nuts 20 that also contact with the said wall 1e. By this means the boll breaker may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly of its passage between the guides therefor, and preferably the bolts 19, between the head 17 and'the inner face of the wall let are surrounded by springs 21 that i at: i

ported in the casing l by cleats 25, and an air space is formed for the screen 24- at the top of the casing between the cleat 6 anda transversely arranged plate 26 in the said casing, the said plate being also connected with the screen. The plate 26, being arranged opposite and having its inner edge slightly below the air duct 5 also, provides a means for directing the air forced thereagainst through the screen 22, the reticulated drum 2? and the cotton on said drum. The cleat l6 and the plate 26 are disposed each approximately an equal distance from the air outlet Qfor the casing.

y In the casing there is a reticulated cylindrical drum 27. This drum is, of course, disposed inward of the screen 22, and is secured on a shaft 28 that passes transversely through the casing. The side members of the drum, inward of the periphery thereof are in the nature of flat rings 28 from which the spokes 29 radiate to the hub 30 that receives the shaft 28. On the ring plates 28 there are secured vanes 31, and on the periphery of the drum there are radially projecting fingers 32. The fingers are so arrangedas to pass between the fingers 18 of the boll breaker. Both the top and the bottom of the casing have their walls inclined toward each other, and at the lower inclined walls there is an open cylindrical casing 33 in which is mounted on a shaft 34: a rotary dropper 35. In the casing there is also a rotary doffer 36.

The casing 1 is of an air tight construction. The suction fan draws the cotton to be cleaned through the pipe a into the casing. Suitable means is employed for constantly rotating the drum at a low speed, and suit able means are employed for rotating the dropper and doflcr 36. Any weighted foreign i'z'iaterial drawn in with the cotton will drop, as previously described through the opening l2 into the rece fjtacle T and may be removed therefrom through the door 11. The cotton, drawn against the drum is con-- tacted by the fingers thereof and is also contacted by the fingers 18 of the boll separator 17. This breaks the bolls and separates the cotton. The cotton is caused to slowly revolve around the screen on the drum,'by engagement with the fingers of the drum therewith. The cotton passing between the points 16 and 26 is subjected to the strong suction of the air from the suction pipe, and at the point where the air entering the inlet 5 strikes the screen drum, the fanning of the vanes is overcome by the high powered current to the suction fan, so that the air passes through the drum screen and between the vanes inside, revolving the drum and again passing through both screen and cotton upward through the chamber 3 and pipe 2. Thus the air currents go around only a portion of the circumference of the drum 27. As the air currents pass in and out of the drum, the vanes contacted by such currents will cause an outward fanning of the air through the bottom section of the screen 22 materially aiding the force of gravity in removing light as well as heavy foreign matter from the cotton. The cotton in its further passage around the drum will cause any small foreign particles to pass through the reticulated drum into the funnel-like bottom of the casing l andv be delivered therefrom by the dropper 35. The main body of the cotton will pass over the drum to a position to be engaged by the blades of the doffer 36 which deliver the cotton therefrom through the outlet/of the casing 24 to a suitable receptacle provided for this purpose.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction, simplicity and advantages of the improvement, to those skilled in the art to which such inventions relate, without further detail description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, is

1. In a cotton cleaning machine, in combination, a casing having a cotton inlet at one side thereof, a suction pipe at the top thereof, a dofler below the cotton inlet and a rotary dropper at the bottom of the casing, a boll breaker in the casing at the end of the cotton inlet, a segmental screen between the boll breaker and the dofi'er, a plate between the screen and the casing opposite the inlet, a reticulated drum in the screen having its outer periphery provided with projecting fingers and its inner periphery provided with vanes, and means for imparting a rotary motion to the drum, the dropper and the dofler.

2. In a cotton cleaning machine, in combination, a casing having a cotton inlet pipe at one side thereof, a suction pipe at the top thereof, a rotary dropper at the bottom thereof, a receptacle having an inner inclined wall below the cotton inlet, a valve controlling the passage between the receptacle and the cotton inlet pipe, 'a dofi'er below the receptacle, a toothed boll breaker at the inner end of the cotton inlet pipe, a segmental screen secured to the boll breaker and the dofier, a plate between the screen and easing opposite the cotton inlet pipe, a reticulated drum in the screen, said drum having outwardly projecting fingers and inwardly directed vanes, and means for imparting motion to the drum and motion to the dropper and dofi'er.

3. In a cotton cleaning machine, in com bination a casing having a cotton inlet pipe at one side, a suction pipe at its top, a rotary dropper at its bottom and a rotary dofi'er below the cotton inlet, a boil breaker comprising a head having projecting fingers guided in the casing at the inner end of the cotton inlet, spring means influencing the boil breaker in one direction, adjusting means for said spring means, a segmental screen having its ends secured respectively to the boll breaker and the dotter, a plate secured to the screen and easing opposite the cotton inlet pipe, a reticulated drum in the screen having outwardly projecting fingers and inwardly extending vanes, and means for imparting motion to the drum and motion to 20 the rotary dropper and dofler.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID Z. WRIGHT. 

